Comments Off on The Nugget Plus camper van has all the amenities you need for life on the road, including a toilet

Compact camper vans have come a long, long way since the ’50s and ’60s, when the only amenity was a mattress tossed on a cold steel floor. RVs have upped the ante with stoves, sinks, and makeshift showers and toilets, but traditional vans lagged behind with no toilets, a major inconvenience for many who love living on the road . The Nugget Plus, a new camper van from Ford and Westfalia, is here to change that. Westfalia and Ford have joined forces and designed the Nugget Plus, a camper van that has the normal trappings of a kitchen, as well as a double bed in the pop-up roof and one that rests atop the dining table at nightfall. It goes above and beyond other camper vans, though, by including the coveted feature of a toilet. Related: The Droplet is a light-filled teardrop trailer inspired by Scandinavian design Due to space restrictions, the toilet is located in the kitchen area. It includes a retractable screen for visual privacy, and a small drop-down sink sits opposite the bathroom. In addition to its unusual toilet feature, the Nugget includes dining space for five people, a fridge and a two-burner stove. The Nugget also has two 11-gallon (42-liter) fresh and waste water tanks and an EcoBlue Euro 5 diesel engine. And if you happen to have $72,500 to spare, it could be yours. + Westfalia/Ford Images via Westfalia/Ford

In an unexpected announcement today, Ford revealed that it will add an all-electric SUV to its current lineup. The SUV will have a 300-mile range and will hit the markets in the US, Europe and Asia by 2020. The company also announced that it will introduce a hybrid version of its iconic Mustang and F-150 pickup truck. A 300-mile range would put Fords as-yet-unnamed SUV well ahead of the competition (Tesla’s Model X has a 289-mile range. The company says that it reached that figure after examining current driving habits, which show that most consumers drive 60 miles a day or less, and that most people charge their vehicles once a day. With 300-mile range, consumers wouldn’t have to worry much about the electric vehicle’s nemesis: range anxiety. Related: All new cars in Germany must be emissions-free after 2030 The new vehicles will be built at Ford’s Flat Rock, Michigan plant, while other newly-announced electric transit vehicles, designed for police use, will be built in Chicago. Ford is also working on a new wireless charging technology, which would allow drivers to park in designed spots and charge their vehicle without plugging in. Via Tech Crunch and The Verge Images via Mike Mozart and Wikimedia ( 2 )

Comments Off on Ford plans to focus on drone and self-driving technology, but not in partnership with Google

This week, Ford made a number of announcements during its press conference at the 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), taking place this week in Las Vegas. It was rumored the car maker would announce a joint venture with Google to build autonomous cars , but that is not what happened. Instead, Ford revealed a new partnership with Amazon and dronemaker DJI, as well as additions to console software and “infotainment” systems. Although the carmaker plans to test its self-driving cars this summer, Ford makes it clear that its priorities are focused on advancing in-auto technologies. Read the rest of Ford plans to focus on drone and self-driving technology, but not in partnership with Google

When it comes to life imitating art, we love to see real-life technological wonders that were inspired by comic book characters and superheroes. That’s about as American as baseball, apple pie, and, well, Ford Motor Company , right? To further that point, Ford recently patented the design for a radical electric vehicle any superhero would be happy to ride. Designers were inspired by the Batpod that the caped crusader uses to escape in The Dark Knight but the Ford version is even more fantastic because it features only one wheel. Read the rest of Ford’s Batman-inspired design turns your car’s rear wheel into an electric unicycle

Comments Off on Mark Zuckerberg is building a home AI system “kind of like Jarvis in Iron Man”

There are ‘smart homes’ and then there are homes intelligent enough to take on many actions and decisions that usually require a human being. To that end, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a New Year’s resolution to trump whatever is on your list. He intends to design and build a voice-controlled artificial intelligence system for his home that can manage lights, temperature, music, as well as let familiar friends into the home based on face recognition, and more. Basically, Zuck wants a system that is “kind of like Jarvis in Iron Man .” Read the rest of Mark Zuckerberg is building a home AI system “kind of like Jarvis in Iron Man”

Comments Off on Ford’s new smartwatch app lets drivers keep (very) close tabs on their electric car

One of the best parts about electric cars is how connected they are. While some automakers have released apps connecting owners to their electric cars via their smartphone, others are taking connectedness a step further. To people’s wrists. Ford has announced a new smartwatch app called MyFord Mobile that lets drivers check important data, like available driving range, straight from their Android Wear or Apple Watch . Read the rest of Ford’s new smartwatch app lets drivers keep (very) close tabs on their electric car

Comments Off on Adelaide races to beat Copenhagen as the world’s first carbon-neutral city

Adelaide is setting its sights on becoming the world’s first carbon neutral city. The government has set a goal of attracting $10 bn in green investment to South Australia in a new strategy paper, which will be available for public comment. “The federal government’s emissions targets are appallingly low, it means they are giving up on the world staying below a 2C temperature rise,” Ian Hunter, climate change and environment minister for South Australia, told the Guardian. Read the rest of Adelaide races to beat Copenhagen as the world’s first carbon-neutral city